As traffic congestion increases with the population growth, the inherent risk of traffic accidents has escalated, and a safer motor vehicle has been a long time demand. Consequently, many different types of safety features have been introduced and developed such as airbags and seat belts. In addition, automobile manufacturers are in search of ways to enhance the rigidity of the motor vehicle body panels in order to absorb more impact in the event of a collision without increasing vehicle length, width, or weight.
Conventional motor vehicle body supporting structures employ a structure having full-width cavities between the inner and the outer body panels. For example, plastically deformable impact regions are enclosed between the inner and the outer body panels, so that deformable regions can expand when pressure is applied. However, full-width cavities between body panels do not enhance the rigidity of the motor vehicle body structure and are capable of only limited support.
Another example of motor vehicle supporting structures is to assemble the outer body panel with more than one inner body panel, so that the rigidity of the motor vehicle body is enhanced. However, the use of multiple body panels increases the manufacturing process steps, and manufacturing cost as well as the weight of the motor vehicle.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a motor vehicle body structure which enhances the rigidity of the vehicle structure, so that it is capable of absorbing more impact in case of a collision, and to also provide the desired bend and torsional loads for vehicle ride and handling performance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a motor vehicle body structure that is lightweight, is low cost, and is easy to assemble.